1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to bicycles and more particularly to such a bicycle having a quick release mechanism for releasably securing a fork to a head tube.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional folding bicycle is shown in FIG. 11. When the bicycle is not being used, a rear wheel 90 can be downward forward rotated under a crossbar 92 to reduce storage space. Such folding bicycles are manufactured by a major bicycle manufacturing company under the trademark “Brompton”.
However, the prior art folding bicycle suffered from a couple of disadvantages. For example, a front wheel 91 disposed at the shown position may hinder the folded rear wheel 90. That is, the rear wheel 90 is not capable of folding to the position indicated by dash lines. For overcoming this drawback, a hinge mechanism 93 is provided in a position proximate a front end of the crossbar 92. Portion of the crossbar 92 in front of the hinge mechanism 93 including the front wheel 91 is folded to one side of the bicycle prior to folding the rear wheel 90. However, the provision of the hinge mechanism 93 inevitably reduces the structural strength of the crossbar 92. Thus, a malfunctioned hinge mechanism 93 can cause a safety problem when riding a bicycle. Further, a rider typically adjusts the hinge mechanism 93 to a very tight state in order to prevent the bicycle frame from vibrating when riding. However, a rider has to exert a great force to adjust the hinge mechanism 93 to such state. This is particularly undesirable for women riders. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.